Professional Development Day, January 20, 2025
To ensure every student is empowered to succeed, JPS must continue to create a sense of belonging for all students through a positive school climate, Superintendent Brandon Graham shared with staff on Monday.
But how does a teacher develop an environment where everyone feels safe, valued, and included?
Graham said staff should exhibit extreme ownership: knowing kids and their families, showing genuine interest in their students, displaying a passion for what they teach, and developing intense focus on what the students need to accomplish.
He left the JPS teaching staff gathered in the Jenison Center for the Arts auditiorium with a final question.
“How do we deepen relationships, recognize students for positive behavior, and reinforce the Wildcat Way?” Graham asked.
His motivating opening remarks kicked off a full day of professional development designed to help JPS teaching staff learn powerful strategies they could use to answer that question.
Two breakout sessions took place at the Jenison Center for the Arts (JCA), while two more breakout sessions occurred at Jenison Junior High.
The first JCA breakout shared tools for building relationships such as knowing the student’s name, assuming positive intentions, and learning their story. The other session focused on student recognition, where teachers showed video examples how their buildings and classrooms were creatively celebrating students for positive behavior.
“When someone notices us, it matters,” Junior High Teacher Rachel Eriks said during the student recognition presentation.
Over at the junior high, one session taught staff strategies to increase the sense of belonging, while the other session shared how to integrate Wildcat Way traits into classroom culture.
Across all the sessions, JPS teachers were learning new ideas, sharing strategies that had worked for them, and developing stronger connections with their colleagues across the district.
During the kickoff event, staff also celebrated the wins from last semester by watching a special highlight
video that showcased accomplishments in sports, fine arts, and academics.